


I'll Support You

by L0NE



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, alcohol mention, offscreen sex, plenty of others in the background like mia and jill and such, they dont have supports or backstory so MY CITY NOW
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 16:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13504974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L0NE/pseuds/L0NE
Summary: She stared up at him. “Largo?”“Hmm?”“Don’t go cheating on me while I’m gone.” Calil winked, and before he could say anything else, and the wagon began to pull away from the city.[[Fanmade backstory and supports for Calil/Largo]]





	1. Backstory

**Author's Note:**

> largo and calil have no backstory, no supports, barely anything cementing them in POR outside largo's recruitment + their ending. nevertheless, i fell in love with them. so i set out to create this in the span of a few days. this is very headcanon heavy as there's little to go by based on what's established of them. if somehow i've messed up a canon detail, please forgive me, i am very tired.
> 
> the fic's split up like this: Backstory, C support, B support, then A support.
> 
> thank you for reading. enjoy.

When Calil and Largo had first met, the two of them were still children living in the country, the former dragging the latter out on chores like gathering water and tending to crops on farmland that their families shared. She was the one who kept him in check, bossy and a bit rude at times, and he was the one who made sure she had fun, teaching her how to eat beetle nuts and challenging her in tests of bravery in the surrounding forests. Calil always took charge, insisting everything had to be done in a certain manner, and Largo was more laid-back, preferring to go with the flow to the stiffness of professionalism. While Largo spoke in laughter and brash jokes, Calil spoke in sharp commentary and narcissistic affirmations.

  
  


Even though they were so different, Largo couldn’t help but fall in love with everything about Calil. Having a friend who appeared so regal all the time yet still wore the same rags as he did, someone who could fend for herself but still insisted his strength was legendary like he did, someone who thought of him first at every opportunity— how could he not be swept off his feet? 

  
  


“I’m destined for greater,” Calil would say, showing him the tome she had spent all of her allowance from the past six months on, casting a fire spell up into the air in a display of power, looking up at Largo with large eyes for some kind of compliment, which he always gave,

  
  


“I’m going to change this world,” she would whisper to him, overhearing their parents talk about tensions rising between the different kingdoms of Tellius, hands trembling at the thought of war but being stilled by Largo’s gentle hold,

  
  


“I’m leaving to become a master,” she would confess to him one night under the stars, only 16 years old, tomes in a pack, a knife at her side, and her hair tied up in a neat bun— a hairstyle she always wore when she got serious,

  
  


“Goodbye.”

  
  


But Largo couldn’t leave her. If she was to be a leader, he was her follower, all the way.

  
  


The two set out from their village together, bidding their loved ones goodbye and stepping out of the gates with no word to each other other than the sound of their own heartbeats. A pack full of tomes on one, two sharpened axes on the other, and a whole lot of time to kill as they traveled to a distant town where there was mercenary work. They never doubted themselves, they never looked back.

  
  


(When they had later found out not long after their departure that the land they’d grown up on had been seized and its real estate burned along with its people, they had thought that they should have looked back, at least once.)

  
  


The first couple of years were spent in all sorts of work, some jobs lasting weeks, some jobs lasting months. Whatever it was, they worked together, their abilities complimenting each other, yet their style of battling like night and day. Calil fought stealthily with her blade, calculating every move she needed to make with her magic, while Largo rushed ahead of troops and madly attacked for the fun of it all.

  
  


They had been nicknamed the “Power Couple” by whoever they worked with, despite Calil’s insistence they weren’t together and her constantly hitting on other army men, her mannerisms remaining the same but her style changing after she had earned enough money to shed the country-bumpkin clothing she had had all of her life.

  
  


Of course, Calil never seemed to have luck with anyone, and ended up being more of a matchmaker for those fighting with them instead, cementing her reputation as a refined, all-knowing lady, which, in of itself, was not entirely bad. Meanwhile, Largo was going out of his way to pin down bears and tigers in tests of strength, and his reputation was more fearsome and exaggerated than any matchmaker could ever be.

  
  


Years went by in a flash between them. When mercenary work stopped coming in due to Daein crushing opposing forces in pre-war battles, Largo and Calil settled down in a small home in the city using the funds they had gathered, Calil ecstatic to have a place to call her own.

  
  


“With this,” She had told Largo, displaying the deeds to their new home with flair, “I am most definitely a fine city girl now.” Of course, the actual home was nothing special, but it was the thought that counted...

  
  


If one ignored their hands, which lacked rings, they could be mistaken married couple— sleeping in the same bed (they didn’t want to spend money on something extra even if it embarrassed Calil), cooking each other food (Largo had often welcomed Calil home by displaying a feast on their dining table), even just spending afternoons in each other’s presence relaxing (when Largo fell asleep on Calil as she read her tomes, she stroked his hair and let him rest for as long as he wanted). For either of them to say they hated it would be a lie, and they had even begun to enjoy their notion of peace. 

  
  


But as soon as their peace began, it ended, and the Mad King’s War started instead.

  
  


It had taken a while for the war’s effects to hit where they lived, but when it did, it was devastating, and residents swore revenge as food supply and the like became strained by Daein’s forces blocking off trading routes. Eventually, the two had been approached for their assistance by rebel forces who would pay them a hefty sum to be in two separate divisions for a job— Calil retrieving and guarding cargo, weaponry, then bringing it back to their city to go to its docks, from where Largo would guard it on the boat that would arrive at different ports. 

  
  


It was a two part job that would start in a week, one that they had agreed to off the bat just to get some more money in their pockets, but soon realized later how much it would affect them.

  
  


It meant that;

  
  


1) Calil would work for a shorter time. After she had done her job, she was done for good. Largo would be on the boat that would then take what she had gathered and distribute it, and it would take him a few weeks to get back to where Calil would be waiting for him at the start.

  
  


2) They would be split up for the first time in their lives.

  
  


It was a lot to think about, they realized all too late. They had never lived a life apart; it seemed strange to even think that was something that could happen so easily. Morale fell quickly. On their last night together, the two were struck by silence, shock overtaking them.

  
  


“It isn’t like I’m worried for you or anything.” Calil murmured, gently picking at the meat on her plate, “I can’t explain it, but I just feel terrible about this.” She often had strong intuition— “a fine lady’s intuition”, she had called it— and so her being uneasy made Largo stop shoving dinner in his mouth to pay attention.

  
  


“You know, Calil,” Largo gave her a grin, wiping crumbs of bread from his mouth, “If you’re feelin’ bad about it, we can just call it off!” 

  
  


Calil’s eyes widened, as though she was considering it, but she shook her head and scowled at him, “And lose out on all that money? I would rather die right here choking on this food. It’s just a shame they wouldn’t let us work together…” She stubbornly put her fork in her mouth, chewing sadly, something she’d never done before as she was such a huge fan of Largo’s cooking, “We’ve never been apart before. Who knows how you’ll act when I’m gone?”

  
  


There was her narcissism again, though it was with good intentions, meant as a joke rather than any sort of rude comment. “Hey, I’m no kid!” Largo laughed, the same laugh he’d had since they were children. It was so contagious, Calil couldn’t help but to smile in turn (Yes, Calil could smile in a way that wasn’t meant to try to seduce men, a fact only Largo knew nowadays). “I’m teasing you.” She giggled, beginning to finally properly eat her food.

  
  


From then, the night had taken an unexpected path. When it came time for them to sleep, Calil had hopped into bed first, pulling the covers up and rolling onto her side to face away from Largo, like she always did. Never once during their few months living together had she ever acknowledged him in bed, again, out of embarrassment, but when Largo had joined her, she suddenly turned around to look at him, holding the covers up to her chin.

  
  


“Largo?” She asked, staring up at him. It was like when she was a child, with large eyes begging for praise or attention, anything, as long as he would acknowledge her.

  
  


“What is it?” He murmured, some part of him begging to sleep, but his mind forcing him to stay awake to hear his dearest out.

  
  


There was silence.

  
  


Largo leaned forward, bringing his face close to Calil’s in an attempt to hear her in case he’d missed her the first time, “Calil? I—“

  
  


“Do you remember when we left home? And how I was going to go alone?” She asked quietly.

  
  


“Of course I do. Else we wouldn’t be here right now!”

  
  


Calil shifted slightly, a frown on her face growing, “That was the only time I was considering leaving you behind. And I was stupid, so I’m glad that you came with me, but now…”

  
  


She looked down, taking a deep breath, then stared up at him once more.

  
  


“Largo, I’ll miss you.” She whispered, her voice quiet, yet in so much genuine sadness that it felt amplified, impossible not to hear.

  
  


Something suddenly clicked.

  
  


Largo responded with an embrace, 

  
  


and Calil responded with a kiss, 

  
  


to which Largo gave one of his own, 

  
  


and it just kept escalating, 

  
  


escalating, 

  
  


escalating, 

  
  


escalating, 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


_ escalating— _

  
  
  
  
  


“Ugh…” Calil groaned, picking up a piece of shred fabric that was teetering off the edge of the bed, “Largo, this was my favorite night shirt. You didn’t have to  _ tear it off of me _ .” She turned her head to stick her tongue out at him, crawling back over to his side and tossing the piece into a pile of absolutely destroyed clothing on the floor. Largo’s strength was often uncontrollable, Calil knew, and there would never be any exception to this, but it was still frustrating.

  
  


Largo let out another one of his laughs, pulling Calil into his chest and stroking her hair, “I’ll get you a new one before you depart, if need be!” He declared, “For a price, of course.”

  
  


“And that price would be?”

  
  


“One more round?” He grinned.

  
  


Calil’s face burned bright red, and she propped herself up to grab a nearby pillow, bringing it down on his face, “By the goddess, you are so uncouth!” She shouted, lips trembling with embarrassment as she continued to (lightly) beat him with the pillow. 

  
  


Then she let out a sigh and tossed the object away, “But… I don’t hate that about you.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The next morning, Largo had to carry Calil to the meeting point for work, to her dismay and embarrassment. The employer said nothing to them as they arrived at the departure point, only looking away with a slight blush on his face.

  
  


“It should take me a few days to get back, and then it’ll be your turn. You’ll go from here with the cargo to the port not too far away, then to four stops nearby, then back. It will probably be a month or two long journey… ” Calil told Largo as she was set down on the wagon that would take her to the cargo’s location deep in Begnion. Her hair was, as always when she was serious, in a neat bun, with her set of tomes and knife by her side, and, if looks could kill, she would be the only guard needed for the job. 

  
  


He nodded, “Then, I’ll see you around?” He asked, flashing her a large smile.

  
  


She stared up at him. “Largo?”

  
  


“Hmm?”

  
  


“Don’t go cheating on me while I’m gone.” Calil winked, and before he could say anything else, and the wagon began to pull away from the city.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


That wagon never came back.

  
  


At first, Largo thought it was just late. 

  
  


But a few days turned into a week which turned into two, and then, he knew there was a problem. 

  
  


When even those who were waiting on the cargo in the first place hadn’t any idea of what the hold up was, Largo immediately packed up the essentials and left their home, on the search for answers. Although he wasn’t fearing for the worst outright, there was a part of him that was praying to every god imaginable that his love was alright.

  
  


Traveling from place to place, village to village on the path that Calil would have gone through, asking any locals, be it beorc or laguz, if they had spotted a blonde woman with an affinity for magic at any point. Most had no idea who he was talking about. Others said they might have seen her at some point, or mentioned how they knew there was a weapons deal going on, but couldn’t remember clear enough because of how much fighting or how much dealing was going on nowadays. 

  
  


And then there were some that said they had definitely seen her working with the Crimean army, which hadn’t been taking applications for long while. 

  
  


In fact, getting selected for the army was such a tiring and long process that it was why neither Largo not Calil had been apart of it before, at least, not until now, it seemed.

  
  


So Largo immediately knew he needed to sign up to join the Crimean Army. 

  
  


And what better way to do that than to just track down their whereabouts and demand entry?

  
  


It took a few days, but following a path and the advice of locals landed him square in the middle of the Crimean Army’s camp, scouring out its commander in the hustle and bustle of it all— there were a lot more people than he had expected, and he doubted he would find Calil among all of this. Figuring it wouldn’t hurt to just ask  _ anyone,  _ he decided to settle on calling out to a scrawny blue haired boy that was speaking to a few other men,

  
  


“Hey, boy! You wouldn’t happen to know where the commander of this army is, huh?”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


After the identity of Ike was revealed properly to Largo and he was hired, Calil had turned up purely by chance, just finishing a beauty lesson with Nephenee in her tent. She hadn’t been thinking much, and had only looked up at the right time to see a familiar face among the dozens of other soldiers running around. Her demeanor quickly went from calm and reserved to breaking out into a run halfway across the camp clearing to catch Largo in time before Ike showed him his quarters, panting as she reached out and grabbed his arm.

  
  


Largo looked down at her, his face lighting up brighter than the sun when he did. He stopped walking and cheered, “Hey, Calil! You’re looking as hot as ever!” 

  
  


Calil’s face was blank with shock, backing up a foot or two from him as he turned around, “...’Hey’...” She repeated. Maybe it was the relief of seeing him after so long, but suddenly, she felt a lot more tired than she had felt back with Nephenee just a moment ago.

  
  


Ike stared at the two, curious, “You know each other?” He asked. Largo nodded, while Calil continued to stare at him, dumbfounded.

  
  


Largo spread his arms out at her as if to ask for a hug, some kind of reward, anything, “I didn’t cheat on you, y’know.” He gave one of his signature grins and waited.

  
  


Silence for a moment.

  
  


“Pfft,” A large smile broke out on her face, and she covered her mouth, “You’re ridiculous!” 

  
  


She ran into his arms.


	2. C Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calil explains her whereabouts to Largo over stew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because supports are short, these next three will, of course, be short. they will still capture what ive intended, though. please enjoy!

 

“So, uh… What happened?” Largo asked, his curiosity getting the better of him one day as the two were preparing dinner in the mess hall with Oscar and a couple of others. 

  
  


It had been a little more than a week since Largo had made himself comfortable in the Crimean army, chatting with the fellow army men, helping out with things like dinner, and even going as far as pinning two tigers in front of Ike to show that he wasn’t just all talk (to which Soren, who was standing nearby when it happened, demanded Largo  _ Immediately put those things back where they came from or so help me  _ and he did, albeit sadly).

  
  


“Utter chaos.” Calil huffed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she proceeded to chop vegetables of all varieties on the cutting board with vigor, “I’d almost let it slip my mind thanks to how busy we’ve been, but now that it’s back on the table, it’s filled me with disgust all over again.” 

  
  


Largo took the vegetables Calil finished chopping and tossed them into the stew he was making. “That bad, huh?” He took a sip of what was brewing and furrowed his brow, then shouted out, “Oscar, how spicy am I allowed to make this?”

  
  


“Not  _ too  _ spicy, please. Mist and Bastain can’t handle much of that, and I already promised them things would be different after the last time you made stew!” Oscar called out from the other side of the kitchen.

  
  


Largo remembered it well, how when he made stew a few days ago on kitchen duty, it nearly killed Bastain and had Mist coughing for the rest of the night. But something being spicy makes it more interesting! More flavorful! Stronger! They’d never understand, he thought, but he  _ was _ appreciative of those like Mia and Nephenee who ate their shares in a heartbeat.

  
  


Calil reached behind Largo to grab more vegetables to chop, “We got to the meeting point like we were supposed to. But then, the scoundrel we were to receive the weapons from completely turned his back on us! He tried to kill the poor boy who was steering the wagon! Luckily, I, of course, was there, so I managed to save him without a problem.” She looked up at Largo and grinned, satisfied with herself. But then a beat passed, and the smile faded, and her eyes narrowed, and she let out a sigh, “What I didn’t expect, though, was an ambush to follow afterwards.”

  
  


Largo’s eyes widened, almost dropping the spoon he was stirring the pot in front of him with, “What, seriously?!”

  
  


Calil resumed her cutting, “I theorize they threatened the original dealer into giving them the weapons, which is why we had such a problem with him before. It was 40 against 2, can you believe it? ...Well, actually, 40 against 1, because I told the boy with the wagon to take what he could and run for it. I can very well handle my own, anyways.” She reassured him. Largo didn’t have the heart to tell her that he’d never returned back to the city, so he continued to cook, adding in all sorts of things to the broth of his stew, occasionally sampling to see how it was coming along.

  
  


Calil continued, “But then, one of General Ike’s men happened to be wandering about. Mordecai, the large laguz? I had taken down a large number of the enemy already, mind you, so when he came around, he was merely picking at scraps, but it was a sweet gesture nonetheless.” She stopped cutting and deposited the contents of the cutting board directly into the stew as Largo stirred, then placed the board back down and began untying her apron, done for the day, “I asked where he was from, and when he said the Crimean Army, I immediately tailed him and asked General Ike to hire me. Partially because Mordecai is fairly attractive, but also because… I hadn’t any money on me, nor way to get back home. And how could he not hire me? I’m  _ me. _ ”

  
  


Largo held out his hand and took Calil’s folded up apron, placing it on a shelf above, where the extra aprons went, “And then you planned on going home once your contract expired?” He asked.

  
  


Calil nodded, looking at her nails to make sure they were still clean, “Of course. I’d figured the money I’d get would definitely be able to send me back and have enough food for us for a while.” She said. That was Calil— always thinking of a solution to a problem even when times got tough. If it were Largo in that situation, he’d probably just try to walk it back, like how he went to go find her, hunting in the wilderness for food if need be. But Calil would rather die than stoop to such “low ways of living”, as she often called anything that wasn’t of a refined city girl behavior.

  
  


“Smart.” Largo commented.

  
  


Calil leaned against him and smiled, “When am I not? And, by the way, Oscar said not to make this spicy, remember? What are those mysterious pepper flakes in the broth that I’m seeing?”

  
  


He grinned, laughing, “Just a little bit won’t hurt ‘em! Besides, you like it spicy, right? I gotta cater to you, too.”


	3. B Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Largo explains his idea of what he wants to do after the war.

 

“You’re up early.” Calil lifted her eyes from her book to look at Largo, who had groggily made his way to the mess hall, hair disheveled and still in his sleep clothes. Calil, on the other hand, was fully dressed, perfectly dolled up, and was gently sipping on a mug of coffee as she watched him roll in. The sun had just come up, and, while Calil was an early riser, she couldn't remember the last time she saw Largo conscious before noon unless he had stayed up through the night.

  
  


Largo grabbed a plate and piled every breakfast food imaginable onto it from where it was laid out in front of the kitchen, then sat across from her, still half awake, “I was cold in the tent, and when I woke up to hold you, you weren’t there.” He mumbled, shoving 3 pieces of toast into his mouth at once like that was an average thing to do.

  
  


Though it was still only early fall, no one in the camp could deny the chill they felt during the night or early mornings, to the point where some, like Kieran and Tormod, often hopped into late night strategy meetings wrapped in blankets. One would expect that the General’s tent would be better insulated than everyone else’s, but, befitting of Ike, he decided to sleep in the tent with most vulnerability so others who were more sensitive to the cold could be better protected (and though the cold didn’t bother  _ him,  _ it certainly bothered Soren, who slept with him despite the freezing temperatures).

  
  


Calil smiled playfully at him, bringing the mug to her lips, “What, so you could steal my body heat? Good thing I’m an early riser.” She said, closing her book and stealing a sausage from his plate, which he didn’t object to. Thankfully, Largo always had the appetite of a small army, so even if she stole a bit of food, it was essentially just a crumb to him.

  
  


Largo chewed his food absentmindedly, then blinked and said, “Needs more butter.”

  
  


Calil swatted his hand as he dove for the stick of butter that was present on every table in the mess hall, “Too many calories already. Don’t add more.” She scowled.

  
  


Largo drew back his hand, dejected, but continued eating the mess on his plate in silence for a while before speaking again, or, really just rambling, “I was thinkin’, after the war, we go and build a pub, and we put a stick of butter on all the tables. With bread, too. And we’ll have really good food… Maybe not spicy food, but something really good…”

  
  


Calil was grateful for him denying spicy food, as his second round making stew a few weeks ago, though still delicious, ended up with Bastain breaking out into a sweat and Mist chugging several cups of water, Oscar apologizing profusely to them both but Largo insisting the spices would help give them enough strength to do anything, like pin tigers like he did. Mist had groaned about how she didn’t want to pin tigers for the rest of the night.

  
  


A pub wouldn’t be so bad, though, Calil thought. Especially with how much people love drinking after a single battle’s over, who could imagine how much people will flock to beer after a war ends? It could have them sitting pretty in a mansion… Or, at the very least, make Largo very happy. And after they got their payment from Ike at the war’s end, they would certainly have enough money between them to start it all up, more money than they would have gotten if Calil’s original job didn’t backfire on her.

  
  


Maybe it was a good thing she was ambushed, then...

  
  


“I’m intrigued. How long have you had this idea?” Calil asked, lifting her hand up to try and straighten Largo’s hair as he ate his fill. 

  
  


Largo downed two portions of scrambled eggs before continuing, “A while. But I think coming here helped. See how Lethe and Jill get along?” He pointed. Calil turned her head to see the two girls in question, both wrapped in blankets, eating breakfast and talking over a game of cards that Calil was unfamiliar with. Apparently, there was a point where Jill outright hated the laguz, but by the time Calil had arrived, Calil usually caught Jill training with Ulki, Lethe, and others of their kind and smiling along with them at each other’s efforts. 

  
  


Calil herself had never had anything against the laguz; after all, she had thought Mordecai was attractive enough to lure her into the Crimean Army, and those like Tibarn and Reyson followed suit in similar beauty. Largo was friendly with the laguz in the army as well, probably more friendly than he should be, because his tests of strength against them would surely get him killed someday, but it was still friendship nonetheless. She was grateful she had not come to know a narrow minded fool, like those she had overheard on the battlefield on the opposing side, who would shout explicatives solely based on race.

  
  


Largo let out a sigh, like he was in a dream, “I wanna make a place where laguz and us can come and have a good time, like they have under General Ike here. He’s kinda amazing, huh?” He stared at the two, Jill throwing her hand of cards down on the table in defeat as Lethe grinned and showed her the hand she was holding. Maybe he would invest in having card games at the pub, too...

  
  


“I agree. And attractive to boot. Soren’s a lucky one.” Calil finished fiddling with Largo’s hair and smiled, “Well, if you’re to make a place, you’ll need a name for it, you know. What did you have in mind? The name needs to reflect how strongly you feel about it.”

  
  


Largo got down to the last contents of his plate, at least four portions of potatoes, “I was thinkin’, ‘Beorc and Laguz Come and Hang Out Here Spot’. I’d shortened it from something else, but apparently this short one’s too long, too, and…” He stopped mid sentence, then his eyes widened, and he finally snapped fully awake, grabbing Calil’s hands. “That’s it! I got it!” He shouted.

  
  


Startled, Calil tilted her head, “W-What? A name?”

  
  


Largo nodded, grinning like a madman, “Has to show how strong I feel about it, right? Then I’m calling it ‘Calil’!”


	4. A Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both reveal their true feelings.

“How come we’re always involved with food when we’re not fighting in the field?” Calil called out, watching Largo prepare desserts in the mess hall kitchen from afar. He had been working on trying out all sorts of foods since Calil picked up and agreed on his suggestion to establish a pub, and he seemed to really enjoy making desserts after Oscar finally caved and taught him how to make a cake or two. What he was currently making, Calil couldn’t see from where she sat several feet away, mending an apron that was torn per Oscar’s request.

  
  


“I think it’s a sign. That, or we’re always hungry.” Largo examined, hunched over his creation.

  
  


Calil raised an eyebrow, “ _ You’re  _ the one that’s always hungry. When you run out of steam pinning tigers and can’t burn off what you eat, we’ll be in real trouble. I’ll have to roll you places.” She scoffed, squinting at the apron in her hands as she sew the tear in it closed. Largo only gave a hearty laugh in response.

  
  


There was a long, comforting pause as the two worked diligently on what they set out to do. Calil, working fast as she always did, began talking as she neared the end of her project, “What you said a few days ago,” She started, “About naming the pub after me? I hadn’t expected that, honestly.” She murmured, feeling her face heat up at remembering the moment. She was so shocked at Largo’s initial outburst that she hit him on the head while he still held her hands, doing more damage than intended and startling others in the mess hall in the process. 

  
  


It was a natural reaction, of course. Throughout all of her life, all she had ever done was flirt— the only times there was something legitimate was when Largo was involved, and, having no experience and a lot of self-awareness, she became embarrassed in romantic situations.

  
  


Although he wasn’t facing her, Calil knew Largo was frowning when he said, “Do you not like it?”

  
  


“No, no, I do! I do! A-After all, having a place named after me is just what a proper city girl like me deserves, isn’t that right?” Calil spoke, yet it sounded forced. There was clearly something wrong, Largo could tell, but he didn’t want to push her, so he kept quiet. Luckily, after another beat went by, and she let out a loud, annoyed sigh, “The truth is, I… I don’t feel like I deserve such a thing.”

  
  


Silence once more, and not the comforting kind. Largo had stopped working on what he was doing, and so had Calil, yet neither lifted their head. 

  
  


“It’s just that… You know me, yes?” Calil asked. Her voice was quiet.

  
  


“Of course I do!” Largo insisted.

  
  


She paused for a second, “Then you would know that I like bragging about myself….”

  
  


“Yeah…”

  
  


“...That I still like looking at other men…”

  
  


“Yeah…?”

  
  


Another brief silence, though it was beyond painful compared to the first two, and one could hear the anger rising, if not feel it from the air in the room,

  
  


“...And that I’m stubborn, and a know-it-all, and I get too ahead of myself for most things, and I bicker with others easily, and I’m nowhere near as good at cooking as you are, and I’m not even good at sewing a damned hole closed!” Calil threw the fabric she was holding onto the mess hall table, frustrated, and she barely even realized she had started yelling at him, “And you still love me, want to name your dream after me! Why is that? I’ve always been concerned about myself, but you still persist in this…! I just don’t understand. I just… I just can’t understand.”

  
  


Calil put her head in her hands, crumpling onto the table, “What did I do to deserve any of this?” She asked, her voice wavering. Someone who cared so much, helped so much, someone who tracked her down after going missing, someone who did everything for her— she couldn’t understand why she had someone like that.

  
  


She was about to continue speaking when she felt Largo’s arms wrap around her, and she let out a sigh, “See what I mean?” She murmured, not bringing her head up from her hands. 

  
  


“Did something happen, Calil?” He whispered to her, holding her tighter, “You know you’re being too hard on yourself, right?”

  
  


She shook her head, laughing bitterly, “How so?”

  
  


Largo took a seat and brought it behind her so he could continue holding her, “Well, let’s see. I don’t think you braggin’ about yourself is bad, since you’re pretty damned good at what you do. And the whole thing about other guys is fine, since that’s just how you’ve always been. I don’t really mind that.” He slowly began rocking her in his arms, a gentle rock so she could loosen up a bit, “If you’re stubborn and a know-it-all, you get the job done and you help me out when I don’t understand something. You gettin’ ahead of yourself is something I do, too, so I don’t mind that, either. Bickerin’ is another thing that’s just how you’ve always been, but it’s never been terrible for me. You don’t have to be the best at everything, either. And lastly…”

  
  


He leaned forward and kissed her on the top of the head, soft enough so it wouldn’t bother her, but enough to let her know it was done, “I know for a fact that you care about other people. Else we wouldn’t have lived together, or slept together, or done anything together, or you wouldn’t be friends with Nephenee, or wouldn’t have helped Tormod with his studying. You’re a damn good person, Calil.” He breathed out, stopping his rocking and just holding her calmly.

  
  


Slowly, Calil lifted her head from her hands and turned toward him, makeup running slightly as she had begun to cry. Now  _ that _ was something Largo has never seen before, and it hurt his heart more than anything else. He gently lifted a hand to her cheek and wiped at a streak running down it. She pressed her head to his hand, “The whole time,” She shuddered, “I’ve always wanted to be better than everyone… I always thought that if I was ever going to be happy, or famous, I needed to be better than just a regular country girl… I needed to be progressive in romance, I needed to be the best at tomes, I needed to hold my head up high…”

  
  


She broke away from his hand to wipe at her face properly, scowling, “But then it turned out I didn’t even need to do any of that to find happiness. There was someone who likes both the girl and lady in me already. And it was so… confusing to me that that was possible, that it just made me upset…! Because if a person like that exists, then they’re far too good to spend time on me, someone who always focuses on herself, and—”

  
  


A kiss cut her off completely. 

  
  


Nothing forceful, nothing demanding, just something reassuring, to let her know that things were different than what she was thinking. It was brief, but when Largo pulled away, he knew that it was still just right. He brought her into a hug, enveloping her in the warmth of his arms.

  
  


“Cut that out.” He whispered to her, “I love every part of you, Calil, y'know that? I don’t want it any other way.”

  
  


And she melted completely.

  
  


“Yes. Yes…” Calil cried, clutching onto him tightly. She was barely understandable through her tears, but she managed to speak, “I love you. I don’t know if I’ve ever said that yet, but… I have now.”

  
  


Largo stroked her hair, “I love you, too.” He replied, though he wasn’t sure if she heard it because of how loud she was being. So, he decided to just have her let all of her emotions out, comforting her as she did.

  
  


Finally, when all of her tears had dried up and she felt the weight lift off her shoulders, Calil sat up in Largo’s arms and wiped at her face, staining her gloves unwittingly.  “Enough of that… Now my makeup is ruined.” She smiled weakly, looking down at the floor, “Thank you, Largo.”

  
  


To her surprise, Largo picked her up from her seat, whisking her away into the kitchen as he held her bridal-style. “I think you’d actually still ruin it anyways, so don’t worry about it.” He teased, shifting her in his arms so she would be comfortable and kissing her on the head again.

  
  


Calil stared up at him like she always did, with big eyes, waiting for something, “What in Tellius does that mean?”

  
  


Largo grinned at her, “Well, there was a big reason why I asked Oscar to help me make cakes in the first place…” He brought her back to where he was working, careful not to knock her into anything as the kitchen area was so narrow, “This.”

  
  


In front of the two was a small, yet intricately decorated two-tier cake, covered in pure white frosting and decorated with candy pearls among other edible pieces. Though, there was something far more important than the extra features on the cake that caught Calil’s eye instantly, knocking the wind out of her chest.

  
  


On the top of the cake, written crudely in red frosting, 

  
  


**MArry**

**ME**

**??? :)**

  
  


“...I kept runnin’ out of room, so that’s why it looks like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you very much for reading! im sorry if any of this came off as cheesey or sappy at any point. i had a fun time writing this so i hope you had a fun time reading !!


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